1. Technical Field
The embodiments described herein are related to generating hemp oil, and more particularly to an improved process that generates hemp oil with a high CBD content.
2. Related Art
Cannabinoids are a class of diverse chemical compounds that act on cannabinoid receptors on cells that modulate physiological responses in the brain, peripheral nervous and immune systems. The native endocannabinoid ligands (produced naturally in the body by humans and animals), the phytocannabinoids (found in cannabis and some other plants), and synthetic cannabinoids (manufactured chemically) bind to receptors throughout the body and control downstream signal transduction. One example of a cannabinoid is Cannabidiol (CBD), which is a major substituent in hemp and hemp extracts. The chemical compound for CBD is illustrated in FIG. 5. Some researchers believe that CBD shows promise of potential clinical applications in a variety of medical conditions. It may have multiple potential applications such as for the treatment of epilepsy and other motor disorders, inflammation, mood and anxiety disorders, sleep dysfunction and eating disorders. CBD is also considered a promising antineoplastic agent on the basis of its in vitro and in vivo activity against tumor cells.
The endocannabinoid system (ECS) regulates many physiological processes involved in relaxation, eating, sleeping, certain inflammatory responses and even cognitive function. There are two types of cannabinoid receptors found throughout the body (CB1 and CB2), but they are most abundant in the brain and immune system respectively. In fact, the CB1 receptor is the most densely populated G-coupled protein receptor in the human brain. New evidence indicates that a cannabinoid-like ligands act on wide variety of biological targets, such as the transient receptor potential cation channel, nuclear receptors and other orphaned G-coupled protein receptors (i.e., TRPV1, PPAR, GPR18 and GPR55), and represents a fascinating area to develop new therapeutic targets.
CB1 receptors are found primarily in the brain, more specifically in the basal ganglia and in the limbic system, including the hippocampus. They are also found in the cerebellum and in both male and female reproductive systems. CB1 receptors are absent in the medulla oblongata, the part of the brain stem responsible for respiratory and cardiovascular functions. Thus, there is not the risk of respiratory or cardiovascular failure that can be produced by some drugs, such as opioids. CB1 receptors appear to be responsible for the euphoric and anticonvulsive effects of cannabis.
CB2 receptors are predominantly found in the immune system or immune-derived cells with the greatest density in the spleen. While found only in the peripheral nervous system, a report does indicate that CB2 is expressed by a subpopulation of microglia in the human cerebellum. CB2 receptors appear to be responsible for the anti-inflammatory and possibly other therapeutic effects of cannabinoids. CBD binds only weakly to both the CB1 and CB2 receptor sites and its health benefits cannot be explained with traditional cannabinoid receptor binding. It is unclear how CBD functions and its mechanism of action is a current topic of investigation.
In order to harness the benefits of CBD, processes have been developed to extract the CBD in hemp oil made from the hemp plant. The percentage of CBD in the hemp oil is therefore an important metric.